Battle for Bojanala: ANC factions vie for regional leadership

Bojanala region, one of two ANC regions in North West with outstanding elective conferences, is holding its conference this weekend.

Battle lines will be drawn once more between grassroots structures and the ANC interim regional committee (IRC), which is aiming to take all the key positions in the regional leadership.

Madibeng local municipal mayor Douglas Maimane, a staunch N12 faction loyalist, is contesting for regional chair against Rustenburg mayor, Sheila Mabale-Huma, who is supported by the N4 faction.

Mabale-Huma is currently regional convenor of the ANC Women’s League and former speaker of Rustenburg while Maimane is a member of the outgoing ANC IRC for Bojanala.

Bojanala, which is holding its conference today and tomorrow to elect new leaders, has the largest ANC membership in the province and always brought the largest number of delegates to conferences.

It is the second-largest ANC region in the country after eThekwini, with OR Tambo in the Eastern Cape occupying the third position.

The current IRC is dominated by members of the socalled N12 faction, who are loyal to the ANC provincial executive committee, a structure steeped against President Cyril Ramaphosa and his renewal and unity project.

At Nasrec last December, they voted for Zweli Mkhize but many branches in North West opposed them and opted for Ramaphosa.

“ANC members and councillors can’t wait to see the back of the N12 faction-aligned IRC.

The ANC members in the region have accused the IRC concentrating more on gaining and controlling power in the party regions and municipalities than rebuilding the branches and uniting the ANC,” said an ANC councillor from the rival N4 faction.

READ: Rebel at your peril with mighty ANC

The N12 recently claimed to be in control of Ngaka Modiri Molema and Ruth Segomotsi Mompati regions and was aiming to grab Bojanala and Kenneth Kaunda (KK) regions as well, to consolidate its power.

But there was strong resistance from branches at Bojanala and KK regions and the Kaunda regional conference would be rerun after some branches complained about manipulation of processes at the last regional conference.

Some branches and councillors alleged the IRC leadership spent their time dishing out senior positions to themselves, despite some of them not skilled for the jobs.

The N12 was accused by councillors and some ANC members of deploying its faction members in senior positions at various municipalities so as to control them.

Concerned members claimed regional convenor Lucky Moate, an N12 loyalist, had recently resigned as councillor at Bojanala district municipality to become a councillor at Moses Kotane local municipality, where the N12 allegedly planned to appoint him as a chief whip as a reward.

READ: Call to ANCWL to refocus: New beginning as Tolashe takes helm

Moate is standing for the ANC regional deputy chair in Bojanala under the N12 slate this weekend.

Another N12 candidate, Lebo Ndou, who is IRC coordinator, was appointed as Rustenburg council speaker, but some councillors opposed her appointment.

Another N12 loyalist, Ditebogo Moeketsane, was allegedly appointed as chief whip of Rustenburg council without due processes being followed.

He replaced Louis Diremelo, who was elected as ANC provincial secretary last year.

Another N4 member marginalised by N12 was Tebogo Kibini, who was removed as manager in the office of chief whip in Bojanala after his boss, Diremelo, became ANC provincial secretary.